This is well-written, with chapters going back and forth, telling the back story of the women. There are descriptions of the quilt at the beginnings of the chapters. I would have loved to have seen a photograph of it somewhere in the book, or maybe on the front cover. I did think the plot was slow and repetitive and slightly sanitized - there was a bit of swearing and descriptions of poor conditions but it was a little tame. Also, none of the characters stood out - the women seemed interchangeable for me.

In 1841 The Rajah sailing ship was tasked with transporting 180 female convicts from London to Hobart in Tasmania. The Master of the Rajah was Charles Ferguson, the ships surgeon was James Donovan and along with the 180 women there were 10 children and Kezia Hayter who had been sent out to Australia by prison reformer Elizabeth Fry to look after the convicts. One of her duties was to supervise a group of women in the task of creating a patchwork quilt which would become the Rajah quilt.

Hope Adams has created a fictional account of the journey of the Rajah and those onboard. We see the women's lives through different characters (she deliberately changed the convicts names), we see their past, we see friendships blossoming and we hear their voices. To add interest to the story we have a woman with a deadly secret and an assault takes place on one of the women causing fear and suspicion to take hold amongst the women.

This is one to watch in 2021, it's a fascinating tale, features characters who are fully rounded and it's just a great novel.

Based on a real journey and real historical characters, Dangerous Women is set on the 1841 voyage of the Rajah, a ship transporting female convicts to Van Dieman’s Land (now known as Tasmania). Midway through the voyage a woman is stabbed and suddenly it seems that there is a murderer in their midst.

The story is told from the perspective of three women: 23-year-old Kezia Hayter is employed as the matron of the ship and is attempting to inspire the women and bring them a sense of purpose through a group embroidery project. Hattie, a petty criminal, is one of Kezia’s sewing group until she is stabbed. Lastly, Clara is not who she seems—she has stolen the identity of another prisoner in order to escape a harsher sentence. Could her secret be a motive for murder? The story jumps back and forth between events in the past and the aftermath of Hattie’s stabbing as the captain, chaplain and ship’s doctor, with the help of Kezia, try to unmask a murderer.

Dangerous Women is wonderful combination of evocative historical fiction, murder mystery, romance and thought-provoking social commentary—most of the women being transported were convicted of petty crimes that they had been driven to by poverty and other circumstances. This book is trying to do a lot and at first, I found the different narrative voices and the time jumps confusing. But once I had the characters straight the story flowed more naturally. It’s a wonderfully sympathetic tale that, like the Rajah Quilt, encompasses a rich patchwork of women’s voices—harmoniously stitched together with occasional bloodstains. The real Rajah Quilt, that inspired the author, is still available to view in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

I thoroughly enjoyed this clever, poignant tale of embroidery and murder on the high seas.

This was a very interesting story, but, with the premise of a murderer amongst a ship-load of convicts, I expected this to be a more exciting read. I think the constant back and forth in the narrative prevented the story from moving forward and made it feel slow. It was well written, but not compelling.

Wow what an amazing story. This is based on a true story which made it all the better. Women and some small children were sent to Australia for small crimes and this is their story. This was a chance to restart their lives and put their crimes behind them but heartbreakingly they had to leave their families behind including their children in most circumstances.

The journey aboard the ship called Rajah was grueling with conditions being very poor for them but this is also about their strength, spirit and comradery. They were a sisterhood that were forced together for the journey of 4 months and in those circumstances their personalities shone through.

It's about them coming together to make a patchwork quilt, which is still known as the Rajah Quilt and this still exists in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. This particular voyage was very well documented so the author has used that which also helps to make it so good.

It was a glimpse into the lives aboard the ship Rajah. It was extremely sad but also uplifting and although it doesn't say what happened to the ladies once they got off of the ship you find yourself wishing them well and hope they made the most of the fresh start. A follow up story would be great.

Truly inspirational

200 women on the Rajah are being transported to Van Diemans land as a punishment for their crimes. 18 women are selected to work stitching a coverlet to be presented to a women's guild on arrival. They all have secrets, but when one is murdered, who is to blame. Beautifully written with descriptions of the fabrics in the coverlet. Fiction based on fact. A great read.

Hope Adams captures the claustrophobia of life on board a convict ship full of women being transported to Tasmania. The living conditions are not great so it is a wonder that there were not more deaths en route - this book is based in fact and the Rajah quilt can be seen in an Australian museum. The fact that transportation was still going on in 1841 was a bit of a surprise to me as I thought it was prior to this that felons were sent to America, Australia and other far away lands. This is an interesting read, with a murder investigation thrown in for good measure.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Dangerous Women is part true story and part fiction. The boat did make that journey with female convicts on and the Patchwork Quilt still exits to this day. Also Kezia, The Captain, The Doctor and the Vicar all definitely traveled on that boat.... but the events that took place on that journey, apart from the sewing of the quilt are the authors work of fiction.

It is essentially an who-dun-it and it definitely had me guessing up to the end. However I found some of the plot a bit weak in that the idea that no one saw her being stabbed, none of the sailors, none of the women, this would not have been a boat with lots of space for everyone. But that aside, I enjoyed the story and it definitely captured the helplessness of women back at the time particularly those born into poverty. The desperate things and choices they made just to survive which they were then punished for and made me think how privileged many of us are today in the Western world but how there are still many many woman today or face similar choices.

If you like historical romance and crime then this is definitely the book for you.

This is a fascinating historical novel, loosely based on a real voyage. Two hundred years ago a ship set sail to Australia carrying women convicted of mostly petty crimes and sentenced to transportation. Also on board was a young woman, Kezia Hayter, who worked in prisons and was accompanying the women as matron. During the voyage some of the convict women worke with Kezia on a quilt, a quilt still around today, known as the Rajah quilt after the ship, and during the voyage a woman died. From these facts Hope Adams has woven an engrossing tale of murder, redemption and hope, bringing the conditions and the social mores of the time vividly to life. Enjoyable and highly recommended.

Dangerous Women is based on a true story In, 1841 when 200 women board the RAJAH, a ship that will take them on a three-month voyage to the other side of the world. They're daughters, sisters, mothers - and convicts. Transported for petty crimes. Kazia, Sarah, Hattie and Emily are the main characters relaying their stories of why they are on the ship, whilst the women embark on sewing a patchwork quilt. The story develops further when Hattie is murdered and anxiety is caused between the women who feel threatened.

I found this to be a reasonable read but for me it was not gripping.

This is lovely. I didn't know anything about the Rajah Quilt and I found the story fascinating. There's a bit in the middle where it's a little slow but I'm glad I persevered.

Overall I quite enjoyed this book. A bit slow going in places and I did get a bit confused with all the different character voices. It also felt like a very similar read to another ARC I have read recently which I think may have had a negative influence on me. I did like the strength of the women characters; that was a very positive point. I found it very interesting that it was based on a true story and investigated the event.
A good solid read but I wasn't overwhelmed
3.5 stars

Using the true story behind the Rajah quilt as inspiration, this is an emotional, captivating and ultimately uplifting read. If like me you don't usually read a lot of historical fiction, make an exception for this one.

Dangerous Women, is a novel of historical fiction based on the true story of the Rajah and its epic journey across the seas to Van Diemans land (known as Tasmania) in 1841. Aboard the ship are 180 women convicts and a handful of children, their punishment for their petty crimes transportation to the other side of the world. Accompanying them is twenty three year old Kezia Hayter, acting as a chaperone of sorts but referred to throughout their voyage as Matron. Aside from the crew there is only a small male contingent aboard comprising of Captain Ferguson, the man charged with their safe arrival, Mr James Donovan in the role of ship’s surgeon and finally the Reverend Davies.

I have to confess to knowing absolutely nothing regarding this fascinating piece of Victorian history so as well as hoping to get caught up in a good old yarn I was also expecting to find the narrative informative, which I think the author pretty much succeeds in achieving.

The storyline begins strongly, with Adams portraying the hopes and fears of those women about to embark on this new adventure well. Exchanging cells at Millbank prison for convict quarters aboard a ship, I couldn’t help thinking their punishment far outweighed the pettiness of their crimes although of course times then were notoriously harsh compared to today. Their punishment must have felt like a double edged sword, escaping their cruel and brutal existences in the hope of a better brighter future yet leaving behind all that is familiar to them, their loved ones and especially their children. That surely must have been heart wrenching but I gained the impression these women were resigned to their fate, knowing life aboard the Rajah would probably be worse than the severe prison conditions they had faced but accepting their lot with grim determination.

Going backwards and forwards in time Adams introduces us to life onboard the ship and the characters that will form part of Kezia Hayter’s plan to occupy the women’s time. Her idea is to recruit a number of women into her sewing circle, creating a patchwork quilt that can be handed over as a gift to the governors of Hobart upon their arrival. It’s seen as a way in which to pass the long days at sea and keep these women’s minds focused, distracting them from their worries and fears and hopefully bonding them together in a common cause. I loved hearing these women’s backstories, the lives they led prior to their convictions, understanding why they committed the crimes they did. You cannot help but feel for these women who are all cramped together in the dire convict quarters, petty squabbles spilling over into confidences and friendships and even love. Their camaraderie or sometimes their lack of it makes for compelling reading, with the women splintering off into their own groups as they endeavour to find their sea legs.

Personally I don’t think the author paints a vivid enough atmosphere of life aboard the Rajah, in terms of day to day life and the filth, the smells, the sailors wandering hands and the poor diet although there is reference to all these aspects. I had expected more detailed descriptions of conditions aboard this vessel whilst it made slow progress across treacherous seas, anticipating more colourful language and perhaps a few brawls given the coarse nature of these women. I suppose the Newgate Nannies are the author’s token gesture towards the type of characters I was anticipating I’d meet and of course there is at least one women who hasn’t quite turned her back on crime yet. This grim reality is glossed over in preference to exploring individual personality traits of the women involved in the quilt making, none of who really stuck me as dangerous (with one or maybe two exceptions!) Adams reference to these women as a “patchwork of souls” is very apt. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this element of the storyline as the author excels in her portrayal of these women whom mostly seem to flourish under the care and attention of the watchful (albeit very young!) matron. Kezia takes her duties incredibly seriously, a typical Victorian do gooder who proves to be a great advocate for these women, giving a voice to these ‘undesirables’ and refusing to be cowed in the face of adversity and tragedy.

This brings me nicely onto the mystery element of the novel which begins so promisingly and was my real reason for wanting to immerse myself in the lives of these petty criminals. What better place for a crime to be committed than a confined space full of convicts! Naturally you’d be spoilt for choice having so many dubious characters and potential suspects all in one place but due to the author’s sympathetic treatment of these women I struggled to think ill of the majority of them. The dangerous woman element is well executed up to a point but unfortunately drags on tantalisingly slowly so that the culmination of this strand of the storyline felt rushed and slightly disappointing. The pace overall is a trifle slow for my liking and on reflection the humane, compassionate angle to this piece of historical fiction wins hands down over the crime element.

Dangerous Women is a great debut whose strength lies in the characterisation of these unfortunate women. I’m amazed by the author’s ability to take a small piece of history and weave it into such an enjoyable, hopeful and quite humbling piece of storytelling. I would love to see the patchwork quilt for myself, since I marvelled at these women’s capabilities to produce a work of art whilst battling the elements. If you have read Tracy Chevalier’s A Single Thread then this novel may also appeal to you. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

I sat down and read Dangerous Women in one go. I don't think I could have put it down if the house was on fire! Kezia, Sarah, Hattie, Emily and the others gripped me so strongly and I was genuinely desperate to understand the mysteries behind them.

Historical fiction based on true facts.

200 women, petty criminals, sail on ship Rajah from England to Tasmania. Some begin to work on a big patchwork quilt, which connect them in many ways. Each woman is different, they are practically the parts of a big patchwork, everyone with their own story.
One of the woman is murdered, the killer is unknown. Who is it and is everyone really who they claim to be?

Beautiful written novel about love, sadness, awful battle for survival and especially about women and their role in history.

Dangerous Women tells the story of the women on the Rajah, a transport ship headed for what would later become Tasmania. 200 women all sentenced to transportation for various crimes many of them minor they are packed on board for three months in less than salubrious conditions.
The story is told through three women; Kezia the 23 year old matron who believes In redemption through work and enterprise, Clara who is trying to escape her past and build a new life with a stolen second chance and Hattie who is murdered on board.
As Kezia tries to find out who murdered Hattie we get a glimpse into the lives of the women on board how they came to be there, what they have left behind and what they hope to find in their new lives.
Adams has based the story on a real transport ship, Kezia and Captain Fergusson were real people and this gives the story added weight. It is an exploitation of the lives of Victorian women, the limitations they faced and the consequences for stepping outside of them.

Based on a true story this historical fiction was truly emotional. The women and a few children were sent to Australia for petty crimes. They were doing what they needed to do to survive.

I found this book heartbreaking and sad but also uplifting and inspirational. I found the coming together to make the quilt really heartwarming. It is really beautiful. I enjoyed the history of the quilt it was a good read.

A remarkable read and so fascinating! Inspired by the story of the Rajah quilt which was made by the female convicts taken from London to Tasmania on the Rajah ship. They had three months to travel and they made the most amazing quilt on the way. The material having been gifted by a charity - the Ladies Society of the time. Someone from that society was allowed to travel on the ship if they looked after the welfare of the prisoners. You can actually see the quilt now in the National gallery in Canberra. Imagine a quilt holding so many hopes, dreams, fears and tears of the women on board. All their stories intertwined with the threads of history.

The author has done some amazing research and woven it into the novel like an expert seamstress.

A cleverly written and engaging novel about a part of history that I’ve never considered - the convicts sent to Australia. Told from the perspective of three women - two prisoners and the matron - this is a murder mystery which slowly unfolds going back and forth between the beginning of the journey and then the investigation of the stabbing. It shows the huge difference between the rich and poor particularly for women. I recommend this brilliantly researched novel. It is as bright and colourful as the patchwork that the women work in during their three month journey.